The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

[FreddoBaggyMac]

Has anyone else read this? It has been out for a few years but I haven't come across it until now for some reason. It's completely fabulous - very melodramatic and over the top but somehow that's what makes it great. It's the best book I've read in ages in terms of unputdownability!

I'm very put out to find that Diane Setterfield doesn't seem to have written anything else... I will be bereft when I finish her book (probably tonight!) Can anyone recommend anything similar, ie. spooky, gothic, melodramatic, ghostly story, preferably with twins, madness and skeletons in the closet?! Have read 'Her fearful symmetry' and 'The little stranger' which were both in the same vein but neither as good as 'The thirteenth tale'.

Hoping for some recommendations so I can allow myself to finish it...

I read this last year and passed it onto MIL. I loved it,and found it to be unputdownable too. Was reading it till after midnight - which isn't good

I read this recently and loved it - the Cinderella tale made me cry. Like Saltire, it was nearly an up-all-night read. It's Diane Setterfield's first novel, don't know if she is writing another.

After that I read Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi, complete change - WW2, set in Germany, but also really good. Linking theme is the use of story, and the stories we tell each other, sorry no gothic melodrama though.

glad I'm not the only one that loved it Saltire It reminds me of reading when I was a child, the story is so completely engrossing, I don't think you get that so much with adult's books generally. Reading till after midnight is great in my opinion!
I'm just surprised that it doesn't seem to be that well known or much talked about, or did I just miss the hype?

Read this for my book club last year and we all loved it. Inspired me to read Jane Eyre again as well, which I also loved (again).

Thanks SnowWoman - will look up Stones from the river - perhaps a change is what I need! Too much gothic melodrama is probably not that good for the sanity...

i loved this too. wonder whether she is at work on more. also liked the diaries of dora damage by belinda starling.

Have ordered Dora Damage and Stones from the River 2nd hand as they both look good. Have also ordered an Amazon recommendation, The house of Lost Souls by F.G. Cottam as it looks nice and scary!
I agree that a re-read of Jane Eyre may be in order too!
Thanks for the recommendations, any more would be most welcome!

Have you read anything by Sarah Rayne - quite similar to 13th tale (enjoyed it too btw) Roots of Evil is my favourite - don't be put off by the references to the supernatural in the reviews... the books are real pageturners!!

OO thanks Mabel, will have a look now...

Sarah Rayne books look great Mabel - have ordered 'Roots of evil' and am tempted by the rest of them, but will read that first. Was very tempted by 'A dark dividing' as that is apparently a gothic tale WITH TWINS!! But after 'Her fearful symmetry' and 'The 13th tale' I'm telling myself I should perhaps go for something slightly different, so I've opted for the gothic tale without twins this time around
Thanks again as it looks like sarah Rayne has written lots of books and will keep me going for a while!

I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down as I was so into it I got really annoyed if I had to put it down

Definately worth a read IMO.

Try Kate somethingorother-one of prior R & J book club reads-the House at Riverton and there is another one

my sister-in-law went to school with the author Diane, they were best friends.
I keep meaning to read this book and now feel spurred on to do so!

I bought this the other day! It gets great reviews on amazon as well. Has she written any others?